Language Assistance Services → Contact Us
How to Contact the Language Assistance Services Unit
For questions, clarifications, and concerns about the scope of services or problems with service delivery, please call Dr. William J. Prather, language assistance technology specialist, at 301-230-5474. In his absence, call Ms. Sandra Rodríguez, administrative secretary, at 301-230-0674.
Technical support questions may be directed to Dr. Prather or to Mr. Matt Barger, translation systems programmer, at 301-517-8268 or 301-230-5474.
LASU Organization
The Language Assistance Services Unit (LASU) is made up of three teams: the Interpretation Team, the Translation Team, and the Support Team. Each team is housed in the Division of ESOL/Bilingual Programs at Rocking Horse Road Center. LASU reports to the ESOL coordinator and the director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs.
Contact a staff member directly
Interpretation Team: 301-230-0674
The language services assistants (LSAs) handle oral interpretation requests for schools and offices. Each language services assistant has specific responsibilities, but all work together as a team to coordinate the work of the team in support of families, schools, and offices.
| Language Services Assistant | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Mary Amin | Initial processing of requests |
| Musiana Gorelik | European languages (including Hebrew and Haitian Creole) |
| Luis Hakim | Spanish and Portuguese, upcounty; Equipment requests |
| Rosa Hum | Asian and African languages |
| Sokuntheary Kuch | Spanish and Portuguese, downcounty; Cambodian (Khmer) |
Translation Team: 301-230-5474
The communications specialists translate written documents for their specific languages. They work with other central office service providers to assure that translated documents are parallel in quality and appearance to their English originals.
| Communications Specialist | Language |
|---|---|
| Leocadie Bader | French |
| Mina Choi | Korean |
| Đỗ Yến Loan | Vietnamese |
| Liliana Jofré | Spanish |
| Fang (Sharon) Liu | Chinese |
Support Team: 301-230-5474 or 301-230-0674
The members of the support team include the language assistance technology specialist, the administrative secretary, and the translation systems programmer. Each team members brings specific areas of expertise to provide the language services assistants and communications specialists with the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to provide industry-standard quality language assistance services to families, schools, and offices. The ESOL coordinator and the director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs provide administrative support for the LASU.
| Support Team Member | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Dr. William J. Prather Languages Assistance Technology Specialist | Team leader; monitors the work of the unit and works with stakeholders and unit members for continuous improvements; helps identify needs for resources and solutions for problems |
| Sandra Rodríguez Administrative Secretary | Responsible for daily operations of the unit; coordinates language assistance projects; answers general procedural questions for clients |
| Matt Barger Translation Systems Programmer 301-517-8268 |
Administers LASU technology systems; identifies technology for continous improvement of services; provides training for technology implementation; answers technical questions for clients |